installing Linux; keeping XP to run in virtualization?

Hi guys, I'm sure there is a simple explanation on how to do this, but I haven't tried it. When I go to buy my Aspire One (d250), almost immediately I'm going to install Linux (not sure which one yet). I want to keep the legitimate version of XP that comes on it, but I want the netbook to boot into linux by default, and then have the option of booting XP in a virtual desktop. The first time I ever had a dual-boot setup, I didn't know about virtualization, so I never got to try it out. Am I going to have to make a copy of XP, and then install linux using the entire hard drive, and re-install XP in the virtual desktop? I want XP because I never had any luck with Wine, and I want the whole virtual desktop setup because I would only use Windows for a couple of things, so just a dual-boot would be too time consuming. I'm afraid that by using a virtual desktop, the system will bog down, since I'll be using X amount of ram for linux, and X amount of ram for windows. But once again, I'm not exactly sure how that all works out. One example where I would need windows is for work; I use spreadsheets and a 2d CAD program. I know i can run these on a netbook (although I'll have to use an external monitor to be productive), but I can't run them in Linux or Wine, and Open Office spreadsheet messes up the format when I try to open the file back up in Excel, so that's out of the question. I've tried installing MS-Office in MicroXP, but I could never get it to work.